Blair meets wildlife campaigners as opposition to West Thurrock Marshes development intensifies
Press release – Tuesday 16th January 2007
Buglife has met with Prime Minister Tony Blair in an attempt to halt the development of a nationally important wildlife site by Royal Mail.
The wildlife charity was invited to the Prime Minister’s office to discuss the environmental threat posed by the construction of a new postal distribution centre in the Thames estuary. At the meeting Buglife pressed the Government to call a public inquiry into the decision to approve the scheme, which threatens to destroy one of the top two sites in the UK for endangered wildlife.
‘West Thurrock Marshes is a test case for how we protect our environmental assets – if the planning system can’t protect key sites like this then the future for our wildlife is bleak,’ said Buglife’s Director Matt Shardlow. ‘We will do whatever it takes to get this decision overturned.’
Public opposition to the planned development has intensified in recent weeks, with more than 2,000 people signing a petition against the development. The campaign to save the site has also attracted cross-party support from over 50 MPs.
The construction of a huge distribution warehouse and lorry park on the Marshes will threaten one thousand species of invertebrates, birds and reptiles, including dozens of rare and protected species. The scheme was approved by Thurrock Thames Gateway Development Corporation in early November, despite widespread opposition from the local council and nature conservation bodies including Buglife and Essex Wildlife Trust.
At Wednesday’s meeting Buglife also briefed Tony Blair on the critical importance of invertebrates to the ecosystem, and their significant annual contribution to the UK economy through services such as pollination. The Prime Minister was concerned to hear about the ongoing loss of species and habitats.
For further information call Jamie Roberts on 01733 201 210 or 07747 715 820.
Notes to Editors:
Buglife-The Invertebrate Conservation Trust is the first organisation in Europe devoted to the conservation of all invertebrates, and is actively engaged in saving Britain's rarest bugs, butterflies, snails, bees, wasps, ants, spiders, beetles and many more fascinating creatures. Set up in 2000, the charity now has eight members of staff working of diverse projects including a national bumblebee survey and riverfly conservation www.buglife.org.uk
West Thurrock Marshes: The Royal Mail development will destroy over two thirds of the site's flower-rich grassland, a critical resource upon which much of the wildlife depends, threatening the future of rare species such as the Brown-banded carder bee Bombus humilis, the Five-banded digger wasp Cerceris quinquefasciata and the Saltmarsh shortspur beetle Anisodactylus poeciloides. All of these species are priorities for government conservation action under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. Other species at threat include the Distinguished jumper Sitticus distinguendus – a charismatic spider found on only one other site in the UK – and the Red-shanked bumblebee Bombus ruderarius.Linked to the development are plans to re-flood the neighbouring southern lagoon, which will have a further damaging impact on the existing wildlife.
Brownfield sites: Previously-developed or ‘Brownfield’ sites in the Thames Gateway have recently been dubbed ‘England’s rainforests’ because of the large populations of endangered wildlife they support. Although government-funded research has shown that a third of brownfield sites in the region are of high importance to nature conservation, brownfield is indescriminately targeted for development under official policy on regeneration.
